Char-Grilled Octopus and Haloumi Salad
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
salt and pepper
1.25kg baby octopus, cleaned
200g haloumi, drained and cut into 1cm-thick slices
3 roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
150g green beans, trimmed and blanched
lemon wedges, to serve
1. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, chilli flakes, oregano, salt and pepper in a large non-metallic bowl. Add the octopus and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a barbecue hot plate to high. Add the octopus and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning regularly until cooked through (Take care not to overcook octopus or it will toughen). Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
3. Place haloumi on the hot plate and cook for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden and starting to melt.
4. Combine tomatoes and beans in a large serving plate. Top with haloumi and octopus. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Notes and Tips
* You can ask your fishmonger to clean the octopus for you, i.e. remove the beak and innards from the head sack, and rinse thoroughly. If the baby octopus is large, slice the bodies in half. If you don’t have a barbecue, pan-fry the octopus in a non-stick frying pan (in batches) for 2-3 minutes over high heat.